Actor David Lee Garver calls 10 Days In A Madhouse indie filmmaking at its best

““I have a daughter myself, and Nellie is someone I would want her to look up to. She had the strength and courage to put herself in harm’s way for the sake of others. Her spirit most definitely carried over to set.” – David Lee Garver”

David Lee Garver plays Dr. Kinier in the biopic 10 Days In A Madhouse – The Nellie Bly Story in select theaters across the US.

The critcally acclaimed indie flick 10 Days in a Madhouse follows the true story of Nellie Bly, inspirational role model for women and journalists everywhere, as she goes undercover into a mental asylum to report from within. Newcomer Caroline Barry stars as Nellie Bly with a performance critics are calling “phenomenal”. Veteran actor Christopher Lambert (Highlander, Mortal Kombat), Kelly Le Brock (Weird Science, The Woman In Red) and Julia Chantrey (Mama, Mean Girls) also star along with Russian star Alexandra Callas as the head nurse at Blackwell’s Asylums.

Veteran actor David Lee Garver recalls the moment he first stepped onto the set of 10 Days In A Madhouse. Despite the dark nature of the story and the difficult scenes that were being filmed, he could feel the warmth and love radiating from the cast members. “When I first read the 10 Days script and found out about Nellie Bly, I knew it was an amazing opportunity. After I met the rest of the cast and crew, I was even happier. I couldn’t have asked for a better group of people to work with.”

Garver attributes the powerful bond that the cast members shared to Nellie Bly. “I have a daughter myself, and Nellie is someone I would want her to look up to. She had the strength and courage to put herself in harm’s way for the sake of others. Her spirit most definitely carried over to set.”

Director Timothy Hines was thrilled when he found Garver, who was perfect for the role of Dr. Kinier. “What was really important to me,” Garver says, “is that even though the medical treatments used in the film seem absolutely barbaric today, the truth is back in Nellie Bly’s time, doctors truly did believe in those practices. It wasn’t because they were these malicious mustache-twirling people. They might seem antagonizing but they were actually trying to do good. For me as an actor, knowing that my character is fundamentally a good person adds a layer of humanity.”

For Garver, working with Christopher Lambert was an honor and a lesson in class. “He was so dignified and gracious. A perfect example of how to conduct oneself on set. I learned a lot by watching him and Timothy Hines collaborate.

“As for Caroline Barry, she was an absolute sweetheart. She was the first person who came up to me and introduced herself. Caroline definitely has that ‘it’ quality. She was found from a world-wide talent search. That’s amazing in itself.” Barry is expected to garner many awards for Best Actress.

David Lee Garver has been acting since he was only 8 years old, starting with community theater. From there, he performed in numerous stage productions and studied acting in college. He moved to New York City for almost five years before coming to LA where he currently resides. Garver has lent his talents to a handful of television shows such as Desperate Housewives and Passions, as well as several indie films including Last Curtain Call and Ovation. He also landed a role in the 2014 thriller Kill The Messenger with a star studded cast including Jeremy Renner, Michael Sheen, Andy Garcia and Mary Elizabeth Winstead.His next film is a apocalyptic tale called The Legacy of Avril Kyte which will begin shooting in 2016.